Lock for quick-operating fasteners



July 16, 1929. ca. w. BLA!R LOCK FOR QUICK OPERATING FASTENERS Filed Match 20, 1925 Patented July 16,1929. 7

' 1 GEORGE w. Brain, on msnawaxa, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR 'ro mrsnawaxa RUBBER-'- PATENT OFFICE.) j

a wooLEN MANUFACTURING GOMPANY, or mrsnawm, INDIANA, A oonroaa- TION OF INDIANA.

LOQK non euicx-ornnarnie rAsrENEns.

Application filed March 20, 1925. SeriaI'No. 16,959. I

My invention relates to quick operating fasteners of the type wherein the edges of theparts which are to be joined together,

are each provided with a series of elements which are interlocked with the elements of the other seriesand released therefrom by movement of a slider or operating member therealong, and my invention has reference more particularly to a locking device for holding the operating member or slider in any position of adjustment so as to prevent-- accidental shifting of the slider and separation of the connected parts.

' Fastening devices of this character do not afford adjustment for connecting the parts in more or less se arated relation, and it is often times desira le to interlock the fastening elements only part way throughout their length so that the remaining portions'are unconnected and capable of more or less in overshoes and footwear, as it is impracticable to furnish such footwear in sizesto fit every size of leg, and it is necessary in some cases, where theupper is a little too small, 'to leave portions at the to of the I upper, disconnected. If the slider is free to move or merely held in adjustedpositionsby frictional engagement, the movement ofv the muscles of the foot and leg tends to work the slider along the fastening elements, and the connected parts thus. become loose.

The principal objects of I my invention are to lock the o 'erating member of a fastening device. 0 the above mentioned character at any point throughout its range of adjustment; to interlock the slider with the elements-of the fastener so as to posi- 'tively hold the operating member against sliding movement therealong; to provide a locking device which is automatically, re-

. leased by adjustment of the slider; to provide an operating member or grip for .adjusting the slider which serves to controlthe locking of the slider and fastener elements;- to provide the slider with a finger grip which is hinged thereto and serves when swung outwardly to the proper position for conveniently ad usting the slider, to release the mechanism, and when swung down-.

wardly'to the relaxed position, permits the locking deviceto hold the slider in-the ad- Fig. 4.1s a sectional view on the line it- I ofFig. 2, showing the locking device in the locking position;

Fgg. 5 is a similar'view, showing the lockingrdevice in the released position; and

i .6 is av perspective view of the locking mem er.

- Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 1 indicates an overshoe as .a whole, which has the two side portions 2 and 3 of the upper separated downthe'f-ront in the usual manner, and provided respectively with a series. of interlocking elements 4- and 5"along theiredges, which are adapted to be interlocked and released by movement of a slider 6 therealong;

The interlocking elements 4- and 5 are similar to' those shown in my co-pending application, Serial No. 757,321, filed December 22, 1924, comprising a-plain coiled spring 4 secured to and extending along the edge of the side portion 2, and a coiled. spring 5 likewise extending along the ed e of and secured to the side portion 3, the atter spring having the coils formed with wave-like bends, which interlock with the coils of the element 4 when the outer extremities of the coils of one of the springs are inserted between'the coils of the other spring.

The operatin member or slider 6 comprises opposed ront and back plates 7 and 8 respectively, of tapered form, which may be joined together by an integral neck 9 if desired, and have a wedge shaped spreadin'g member 0 interposed between the plates 7 and 8 wit substantially'parallel with the correspond ing divergent outer edges of the plates 7 the divergent faces thereof' and 8. The wedge shaped spreader 10 may be formed in any convenient manner, as for example by insertin a wedge shaped block between the plates and 8 the plates being reinforced against spreadlng, in any convenient manner, as for example, by a rivet 11. The outer edges of the plates 7 slider 6, by reason of the angular arrangement of the divergent channels and the merging of the latter j-into a channel of suitable size to ,contain the two elements 4 and 5 when interlocked, serves upon move-- ment in one direction, to guide the elements 4 and 5 into meshing relation and interlock same, and upon movement in the other d1- rection, to separate and release the elements a 4 and 5. The adjoining elements of each series are spacedapart to receive the elements of the other .seljies individually therebetween in a' sufficiently closely nested manner so that, when the elements are interlocked, separation ofa djoining elements of either series and release of the opposed element from therebetween is prevented by the proximity and cumulative action of neighboring interlocked elements. Movement of the slider 6 however along the elements 4 and 5 causes a progressive separation of adjoining elements, due to. the angularity of the divergent channels of the slider and permits the opposed elements 4 and 5 to be readily interlocked and released. p

' My present invention relatesto a device for holding the slider 6 at any point of its adjustment along the elements 4 and 5, and the particular form of interlocking elements are shown and described merely for the purpose of illustration and to afford a complete understanding of the application of my invention,the latter being however capable of and intended for use in connection with any quick operating fastening device and operating member involving the principle of automatically interlock ing and releasing series of fastener elements by movement of a slider or operatmg member thercalong.

The locking device for holding the slider 6 in the various positions of adjustment along .the members 4 and 5. consists of a bar 14 extending lengthwise over the upper face of the top plate 7 and secured at its upper end to theslider in any convenient manner. When a rivet is employed for connecting the parts of the slider, as for example, the rivet 11, the bar connection may be conveniently accomplished by passing the rivet through an aperture in the enlarged upper end of said bar. The lower end of the bar 14 is inturned and preferably-pointed, as indicatedat 15, and this inturned end projects through an aperture 16 near the lower end of the front plate 7, so as to engage between elements of the members 4 and 5 and thereby hold the slider against movement therealong, said. bar being sufficiently springy so that it is yieldingly held in the locking position and adapted to have the lower end swung outwardly to release the point 15 from its engagement'with the interlocking element.

In connection with sliders of this character, it is customary to provide a finger grip which is usually in the form of a small plate or ring, which is hinged to the slider so that it normally hangs downwardly as shown at 17 in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, and is lifted by the operator to an outstanding position and gripped between the fingers to adjust the slider. I make use of this finger grip 17 and the practice of lifting the finger grip to the outstanding position to control the locking device somewhat automatically, and to this end the bar 14 is formed withan arched portion 18, which is engaged through the aperture 19-of the finger grip l7 and serves to afford a pivotal attachment of the finger grip 17 to the slider. The portion 20 of the finger grip 17 within the arch 18 is of suitable, width and form, and the arch 18 also suitably formed so that when the finger grip 17 is swung to the outstanding position shown in Fig. 5, the portion 20 bears against the outer surface of the plate -7 and slides against the inner surface of the arch 18 and acts asa cam to swing the lower portion of the bar 14 away from the plate 7 and lift the p0int'15 out of its locking engagement withthe elements 4 and 5. The

rear edge of the portion 20 is preferably flat so that when it is butted against the outer surface of the plate 7, it serves to hold the finger grip 17 substantiall perpendicular to this plate 7, and for t e purpose of;

guiding of the slider by means of the finger gripin locking and releasing the fastener.

\Vhen the finger grip 17 is turned downwardly to the normal position shown in Figs. 1

1, 2 and 4, the portion 20 lies substantially flatbetween the arched portion 18 of the bar and the outer face of the plate 7, so

that the bar 14 free to return to'the normal position under its spring" tension and the point 15 is re-engaged with-the fastener ele- 15f the series of locking-elements 4 and 5 and ments 4 and 5. i 0 p As stated here nbefore, in operating the slider, it is the practice'to lift the finger grip 17 to an outstanding position, and this operation in the present device; serves to automatically release the lock so that the slider is capableof movement, and when the finger grip is released and turned down, the slider is automatically locked in the position to which it'has been adjusted.

While-the point in the illustrated structure is located substantially midway between interlocks therewith at the point of intermeshing, it is to be understood that the interlocking point may, if desired, be located at one side of the intersection of the two members 4 and'5 ,.so asto interlock with only one ofthe elements 4. and 5, or it may i be arranged to interlock with both at oppoas overshoes, as it'some times occurs that the. 'upper is not'sufiiciently large to close tosite sides of their intersection.

This invention is particularly useful in connection with footwear such for example,

' gether around the leg, and in such case the slider may be adjusted so asto close the two sides of the upper together as far as this'can be conveniently or comfortably done,

' and the portions 'therebeyond are left unconnected. In view of the working of thef muscles of the leg, the slider has a tendency to work downwardly from the adjusted posi-' -tion unless it is locked at such point. This device insures a positive andconvenient means for locking the slider at the upperextremity of its movement or at any point of adjustment along the--=interlocking members 4 and 5.

In connection-with this device I prefer ably provide the overshoe with a flap 22, preferably-of elastic material, which is attached to one side of the upper and has a detachable connection 23 with the otherside of the upper, and several spaced connector parts'24 may "be provided on the one side of the upper to permit properconnection of the flap 22 when the two sides of the-upper are'closed together orseparated to some extent. With this arrangement,

; when the slider is run-part way up, as shown I in Fig. 1, the disconnected portions of the upper therebeyond may be' neatly held against the leg by the flap 22. O'vershocs of this character are usually provided with a tongue at the inside, lying between the two side-portions 2 and 3,- and this tongue, shown at 25, protects the leg atthe gap and affords a neat finished appearance. Y lVhile I have fshown and described my invention in a preferred form, I' am aware that 7 various changes and IIIOClIfiCaIIODS, may be made without departing from the principles of my invention, the scope of which is to be determined bythe appended claims.

I claim, as my invention; I 1. The combination'with 'a quick operating 79 fastener comprising. opposed series of interlocking elements on the edges of the parts WhlCh are to be connected together and an operating member movable along the series of elements for interlocking and releasing same, of a resilient arm fixed at one .end to the operatlng member and having an 1nturned tip at the otherend. extending through an aperture in the operating member. so as. toengage the interlocking ele--80 -ments and hold the operating memberagainst movement therealong, and a finger grip having a'portion thereof interposed be tween the arm and operating member and serving as a cam to lock and release .the lock ing device. I

2. The combination of an article comprising separable parts, having opposed series of fastener elements on the edges thereof, an

operating member movable along said elements for interlocking and releasing same, locking means for holding the operating member in' position to partially close together and fasten the separable parts so as and a flap detachably and adjustably connecting said parts and .overlying the aforesaid unconnected portions thereof.

to leave said parts unconnected therebeyond,

nels therebetween, means for holding the wings against separation, a. locking member secured to said means anda pull device for operating the locking member. 5: The combination with a fastener com'-. prising opposed series of fastener elements and a slider operable therealong for interwith a centrally arched portion extending engaging thearched portion of the .ba'r. and

operable to control the locking operationof the latter.

6. The combination, of an article with separable parts having opposed series of fastener elements on the respective edges thereof, the adjoining elements of each series being so spaced as to receive the elements of the other series individually therebetween and to producea lockingetiect by the cumulocking and releasing same, of a locking bar "lengthwise of the slider, and a pull device I of fastener elements so as to partially close together and fasten the separable parts and leave said parts unconnected therebeyond and a flap detachabl'y and admstably connecting said parts and overlying the aforesaid unconnected portions thereof.

7. The combination of an article with separable parts having opposed series of fastener elements on the respective edges thereof, the

adjoining elements of each series being so spaced as to receive the elements of the other series individually therebetween and to produce a locking effect by the cumulative action of neighboring elements when the-elements are interengaged, a slider movable along said opposed series of elements for progres- -sively interlocking and releasing same, a pull member pivoted on the slider, locking means on the slider Wl'llCh sald locking IllQflllS 1s "operable by said pull member and engages with fastener elements adjacent to the slider for-holding the latter between the endsof the series of fastener elements so as to partia'll-y close together and fasten the separable. parts and leave'said parts unconnected there-- beyond and a flap detachab ly and adjustably connecting said parts and overlying the aforesaid unconnected portions thereof.

* GEORGE W. BLAIR. 

